As is known in the art, feminine sanitary napkins are generally disposable and. used. to collect and contain vaginal exudates, especially menstrual bleeding, intermenstrual secretions and even urine in cases of incontinence.
Typically, these sanitary napkins are made up of an elongated. body made of absorbent material, covered. by an external at least partially liquid permeable layer, at least on the top side which comes into contact with the users body.
As the above mentioned sanitary napkin becomes saturated. with liquid, the possibility of leaking increases, because of two main reasons:
new discharges of liquid will have less chance of being absorbed, as there is less absorbent material available; and PA1 part of the liquid inside the absorbent material may eventually be exuded, especially when the user moves, compressing and. deforming the sanitary napkin.
Some prior art patent documents refer to sanitarty napkins or diapers which have a perforated. plastic film in the central longitudinal area on the part that comes into contact with the user's body, and non-woven on that same side in the areas near the edges and throughout the thickness of the product. WO 9312745 and. WO 9510254 of Moelnlycke and EP 523683 and EP 523719 of Kimberly-Clark can be cited.
These documents have as a common denominator the concern with leaking and comfort. They propose perforated plastic films on the user's body contact surface, as being presumably more efficient for retaining liquids, and non-wovens at the sides of the absorbent product, as being presumably more pleasant to touch the user's skin. Nonetheless, it is known that the plastic film surface is a reason for discomfort, for those users who complain about the feeling of swelter (thus prejudicing comfort) while the non-woven at the sides of the product is a subtrate which may potentially lead liquids through its structure which is provided with interstices (whereby protection against leaking may be improved).
This technology is different from that of the present invention, and there is no hint in those documents that show the invention results from the former.
Still referring to the prior art, GB patent application 2.262.235 of Nov. 27, 1992 discloses that the intermediate body of absorbent material is wrapped with a bottom liquid permeable film, a top perforated plastic film and side bands of imperforate embossed plastic.